DALLAS — Tonight, the Dallas Stars return to the ice at the American Airlines Center for Game 2 of their Western Conference Final series with the Edmonton Oilers. For the seventh straight playoff series, the Stars will try to rebound from a loss in Game 1.
Dallas knew they were going to have their hands full competing against two of the best scorers in NHL history: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Both scored in Game 1. Draisaitl tallied the game’s first goal, and McDavid scored the game-winner in double overtime. Meanwhile, despite two goals from Tyler Seguin, the Stars failed to capitalize on five power play opportunities, including a 4-minute double-minor assessed to McDavid for high-sticking early in the first overtime period.
That said, there is good news for the Stars. Dallas is 4-2 in Game 2 over their last six playoff series, and they’re 4-2 in those series overall. Goaltender Jake Oettinger proved he was up to the task of stymying the Oilers’ high-flying offense, recording 35 saves on 38 shots including a brilliant stop on McDavid in the first overtime period.
There is also some hope that forward Roope Hintz could return to the lineup for Game 2. He has been listed as a “game-time decision” after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury.
This series was billed as a clash of styles, and Game 1 certainly reflected that. For the Stars to win Game 2 and get back into this series, the plan is simple: play with a lead. The Stars are also 52-18-9 when scoring first this season, and Dallas has yet to win a game in these playoffs after trailing by two or more goals. They faced a 2-0 deficit in Game 1.
History has not been kind to teams who fall behind 2-0 in a playoff series, but the Stars have already proven they’re capable of rallying from that series deficit. Dallas faced similar adversity against the defending champion Las Vegas Golden Knights in the first round and emerged victorious after a hard-fought seven-game series. They’d like to avoid that situation before the series shifts to Edmonton, where a rabid Canadian fanbase is hungry for the country’s first Stanley Cup championship since 1993.
The puck drops for Game 2 tonight at 7 p.m.